Spill-proof container



United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1924 Piorkowski.......

[72] Inventor Allen A.Greenb erg Cincinnati, Ohio [21] AppLNo. 803,385

[22] Filed Feb. 28, 1969 r [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [73] Assignee Rainbow Crafts, lnc.

Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance a corporation of Delaware Attorneys-Anthony A. 'Juettner, William C. Babcock and L.

MeRoy Lillehaugen [54] SPILL-PROOF CONTAINER 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A container for holding a liquid such as paint,

222/576, colored dye, marking ink or the like, which is especially prac- 220/205, 401/118, 222/589 tical for use by children because the contents cannot be spilled [51] 843125/02, from the container. The container is designed in such a manner that it can be tipped or inverted without spilling the 220/205; contents onto the user, the work project, or the work area. A

brush or other implement must be used for removing the contents from the container.

[50] Field Patented Nov. 24, 1970 FIG. 2

FIG.I

FIG

INVENTOR.

ALLEN A. GREENBERG 1 SPI L-moor conrxmraa fluid medium, and more particularly to a spill-proof container or receptacle for storing or holding a liquid such as paint, a colored dye, or marking ink, in which the likelihood of leaking or spilling the contents, is eliminated, or at least minimized.

A variety of containers are known in the art for holding liquids such as paint, colored dyes, marking inks, and the like. When such containers and liquids are intended for use by children, certain precautions should be taken. When being used by children for example, it has been found desirable to use a container which will not permit found liquid contents to be spilled onto the user, onto the work project, or onto the sur rounding work area, if the container should be tipped over or inverted. Numerous attempts and approaches have been made in recent years to devise containers for holding a fluid medium, such as paint, which can conveniently be stored and used by children without inadvertently spilling the contents. Many prior art devices known to the applicant, have been relatively complicated in structure. costly to manufacture, difficult to remove thecontents from, and with no assurance of being spill-proof.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved spill-proof container for holding a fluid medium. 1

Another object is-to provide a liquid holding container from which the liquid can only be removed by using an external member such as a brush.

A further object is to provide a spill-proof container for holding a liquid, said container having improved means for preventing the liquid from accidentally spilling or leaking out of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and drawings. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the invention however, a brief description of it will be presented.

In general, the invention concerns a container formed by outer and inner spaced-apart walls, a top'wall having an opening therein, and a flexible bottom wall or diaphragm. The inner wall is attached to the top wall so that it surrounds the opening and projects toward the bottom wall. The flexible bottom wall includes a somewhat cone-shaped member which projects into the inner wall and cooperates with the bottom edge of the inner wall to prevent the liquid from flowing out of the container through the inner wall. By exerting a downward force on the cone-shaped member, the bottom wall can be caused to separate from the edge of the inner wall therebypermining the liquid to flow into the inner wall, from which it can be removed by a paint brush or other implement.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of thecontainer shown in FIG. '1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the container taken along line manner that no leakage'or spillage will occur during transit or storage previous to'actual use; and the container includes different structure for preventing the liquid within the container from leaking therefrom once the container has been used.

3-3 of FIG. 2 which illustrates the container in a first or closed condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the container in a second oropen condition; I

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view illustrating part of the structure disclosed in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the present invention, it might be pointed out that the present invention is quite similar to the invention described and claimed in US. Pat. application Ser. No. 558, 363, filed by Harry Meth on June 16, l966, entitled Container which issued as US. Pat. No. 3,464,599 on September 2, I969. While quite similar in structure to the container disclosed in that application, the present invention is different for a number of reasons. The container includes different structure for maintaining the liquid within the container and for'preventing the liquid from leaking therefrom; the container is initially sealed in such a FIGS. 1--3 illustrate a container 10 having a somewhat conical outer wall 12, a top wall 14, an inner wall 16, and a flexible bottom wall or diaphragm 18. As shown more particularly in FIG. 3, the top of the outer wall 12 terminates with an annular flange 20, while the bottom of the wall 12 terminates with a pair of spaced-apart downwardly depending annular flanges 22 and 24 which form a groove 26 therebetween. The top wall 14 is inclined slightly with respect to a horizontal plane in such a manner that it slants downwardly from the outer edge of the container toward its center. and it is provided with an opening 28 therein at its center, which is defined by a downwardly projecting annular tip or flange 30. The inner wall 16 is substantially cylindrical in shape and it is attached at a first end to the top wall 14 so that it surrounds the opening 28. As depicted in FIG. 3, the wall 16 is separated from the annular flange 30 by a small distance so as to form a groove or trough 32. The second end of the inner wall 16 projects away from the top wall 14 toward the bottom wall 18. As shown, the second end of the inner wall is provided with a beveled edge 34, the angle of which can vary within reasonable limits. Moreover, a plurality ofv small tips 36 are spaced around the beveled edge 34 (note FIG. 5), the purpose of these tips will be described hereinbelow. For ease of manufacture, preferably, the outer and inner walls, and the top wall are formed as an integralunit, for example, by injection molding. If preferred of course, one or more of the walls might be formed separately and then attached to the other wall members. Furthermore, the inner wall 16 might have a different cross-sectional shape, if preferred.

The bottom wall 18 includes a thin-walled diaphragm 40 and a somewhat frustoconical member 42. The diaphragm 40 is provided with anupstanding flange 44 at its periphery which is spaced from the edge of the diaphragm to form a groove 46 therebetween. The member 42 is centrally disposed with respect to the periphery of the bottom wall 18, and it includes an inclined surface 48 and a top surface having a somewhat dished center portion 50. The member 42 has the same general cross-sectional shape as the inner wall 16; therefore, if the wall 16 has a square cross-sectional shape, the member 42 should have a somewhat pyramidal shape.

The bottom wall 18 is attached to the outer wall 12 so that the flange 44 fits within the groove 26 formed in the edge of the wall 12, and the flange '22 of wall 12 fits within the groove 46 in wall 18. An appropriate adhesive or sealant might be used if desired in the grooves, to make sure that the walls 12 and 18 do not separate or leak. In assembled relationship, the member 42 is positioned so as to project into the inner wall 16, and the beveled edge 34 of the inner wall rests against the inclined surface 48. As shown, the angle of the beveled edge is substantially the same as the angle of the inclined surface 48. The length of the inner wall 16 should be such that a rather tight contact is made between the edge 34 and the surface 48.

When attached to the wall 12 in the manner described, the thin-walled bottom wall forms a first hinge-type connection 52 proximate its juncture with the outer wall, and the member 42 forms a second hinge-type connection 54 at its juncture with the flexible diaphragm 40. This type of construction readily permits the bottom wall,and more particularly, the member 42, to separate from the edge 34 of the inner wall when a force is applied on the top of the member 42.

The outer wall 12, inner wall 16, top wall 14, and bottom wall 18 form a compartment A for holding the desired liquid. The inner wall 16 forms a chamber B which is normally devoid of liquid, and it is surrounded by the compartment A. The upper end of the chamber B communicates with the atmosphere, and its lower end communicates with the lower portion of the compartment A. As such, the only outlet from the compartment A is through the chamber B. The compartment A is preferably filled by inverting the container and filling it with the liquid before the bottom wall 18 is attached to the wall 12. After the compartment A has been filled, the bottom wall 18 is sealed to the outer wall as described'above.

Since the member 42 abuts against the beveled edge 34 of the wall 16, it cooperates with the wall l6 to prevent or limit the flow of the liquid out of the compartment A into the chamber B. By applying a downward force on the top surface of the member 42 with a brush 56 or other implement, (note FIG. 4), the flexible bottom wall 18 can be caused to pivot slightly at its hinge points so that a gap or space is formed between the inclined surface 48 of member 42 and the edge of the wall 16, thus permitting the liquid to flow into the chamber 8. As shown in FIG. 4, the dished center portion 50 in the member 42 causes the'bristles 58 of the brush to separate somewhat, and causes them to be directed in a somewhat upward direction. By directing the bristles 58 in this manner, the likelihood of their being caught between the inclined surface 48 and the beveled edge 34 is minimized when the downward force on the brush is removed. Furthermore, the dished portion 50 acts as a small basin or receptacle for holding part of the liquid which flows into the chamber 3, so that it can be removed by the tip of the brush. If the container 10 should inadvertently or purposely be inverted while there is any liquid within the chamber B, the liquid will not be spilled out of the container because it will flow into the trough 32.

In certain instances it has been found that some of the liquid within the compartment A might leak into the chamber B during transit or during storage, prior to the intended use of the liquid ingredients. A shock or jolt of a prescribed magnitude for example, might cause the member 42 to separate from the edge of the wall 16 momentarily, a sufficient distance so as to permit a small amount of the liquid to enter the chamber B. For this reason, it has been found expedient to attach the member 42 to the beveled edge 34 at one or more points; such attachment points however, being of such a nature that they can be readily broken when desired. Sonic welding for example, has been found to be an excellent way of attaching the member 42 to the wall 16, although other techniques might be used as well. Sonic welding as such, is well known to those skilled in the art, therefore, no detailed description of sonic welding'principles will be described herein, other than to briefly describe how the members are joined together.

As pointed out hereinbefore, and as shown in FIG. 5, the beveled edge 34 ofthe inner wall 16 is provided with a number of tips 36, equidistantly spaced about the edge 34. These tips contact the inclined surface 48 in such a manner that the remaining portion of the beveled edge is spaced from the surface 48 by a very small distance. The sonic energy producing device is positioned proximate the exterior of the bottom wall 18 in such a manner that sonic vibrations are transmitted to the work piece. During the welding operation, the tips 36 are caused to fuse to the surface of the member 48 and form weld spots 36a, so that the member 48 and the inner wall 16 are joined together. The container can then be dropped or otherwise mishandled, with a minimum likelihood of the liquid leaking into the container B prematurely. When the liquid is to be removed, a downward force is exerted on the top of the member 42, of sufficient magnitude to break the weld spots. When the member 42 separates from the edge of the wall 16, the liquid then flows into the chamber B. For purposes ofillustration; FIG. illustrates the tips 36 before they are welded or fused to the surface 48, FIG. 3 illustrates the member 42 welded to the inner wall 16, and FIG. 4 illustrates the member 42 and inner wall 16 after the weld spots have been broken.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention which is quite similar to that shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 60 includes a cone-shaped member 62 having an inclined surface 64 and an apex 66. In all other respects, this embodiment is the same as the container described hereinbefore, in that the cone-shaped member 62 is positioned in such a manner that the apex 66 projects into the inner wall 68. As illustrated, the inner wall 66 has a beveled edge, and it can be attached to the surface 64 by sonic welding as described above. By pressing down on the surface 64, the

liquid is permitted to flow into the chamber B in the same manner as that described above.

The container described herein can be used for containing and storing a variety of liquids. It is especially useful and practical for containing a fluid medium such as paint, which is to be used by children. The construction of the container is such that the contents will not spill out of the container, should the container be inadvertently or purposely inverted. As a result, there is little likelihood that the contents will be spilled onto the child, the work project, or the surrounding environment.

In the above description and attached drawings, a disclosure of the principles of this invention is presented, together with some of the embodiments by which the invention may be carried out.

I claim:

1. A container for storing a fluid medium comprising an outer wall, a top wall attached to said outer wall and having an opening therein, a bottom wall attached to said outer wall, an inner wall surrounded by said outer wall and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said inner wall being attached at a first end to the top wall so that it surrounds the opening in said top wall and the second end of said inner wall projecting sway from said top wall toward the bottom wall, said inner wall forming a chamber which is normally devoid ofthe fluid inedium, said outer, inner, top, and bottom walls forming a compartment for holding the fluid medium, said bottom wall including a thin-walled flexible diaphragm attached at its outer periphery to the outer wall and a cone-shaped member spaced from said outer wall, said cone-shaped member projecting into the inner wall and cooperating with said inner wall to limit the flow of the fluid medium out of the compartment into the chamber formed by the inner wall, said flexible bottom wall permitting the cone-shaped member to separate from the bottom edge of said inner wall and permitting the fluid medium to flow into the chamber formed by said inner wall.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the apex of the coneshaped member is removed thereby forming a frustoconical 7 member which projects into the inner wall.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the frustoconical member has a top surface which is positioned within the inner wall, said top surface having a dished center portion for holding the fluid medium.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bottom wall forms a first hinge-type connection proximate its juncture with the outer wall, and the cone-shaped member forms a second hinge-type connection at its juncture with the flexible diaphragm.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the edge of the second end of the inner wall is beveled.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the angle of said beveled edge corresponds to the angle of the inclined surface of the conical member.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said container includes a wall portion having a flange member extending into the chamber thereby forming a trough between said flange member and the inner wall, said trough preventing liquid which may be disposed within said chamber from spilling out of said chamber when the container is inverted.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein meansare provided for breakably securing at least a portion of the bottom edge of the inner wall to the conical member thereby preventing any of the fluid medium from entering the chamber, said securing means being readily breakable when a force is exerted against the conical member so as to cause it to break apart from said inner wall.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the edge of the inner wall is sonically welded to the conical member at more than one location. 

